Boot or shoe greaser



(No Model.)

H. P. ROBERTS. B001.1 0R SHOE GRBASER.

No. 482,529. Patented Sept. 13, 1892.

Nrrnn STATES Paraim? OFFICE..

HENRY P. ROBERTS, OF JAMESTOVN, NENV YORK.

BOOT OR SHOE CREASER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 482,529, dated September 13, 1892. application iiieanecember 31.1891. serai No, 416,702. (No modemY T0 all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, I-IENRY P. ROBERTS, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city of Jamestown, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improved Boot or Shoe Creaser, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention pertains to transverse creasing of a boot or shoe upper and relates to an implement or tool to be used for such purpose. This tool in substance is composed of a block that on its upper side has transverse grooves and is of ashape substantially corresponding to that of the inner side of a boot or shoe upper from at or near the instep to the toe and of a thickness essentiallyless than the height between a boot or shoe sole and upper, in combination with a lever fulcrumed on a rearward extension of and shaped to project forward and over said block, a link in two sections jointed together ond to end and one jointed to the lever rearward of its fulcrum and the other forward of the fulcrum of said lever jointed to said rearward extension of and projected forward under said block and adapted in the use of the implement, as hereinafter explained, to exert an upward springpressure on the block and otherwise, all so that having placed the block within and forced it forward to the toe of a boot or shoe and having pressed the lever, which is outside of the boot or shoe, in a direction toward the upper by the then bearing of the forward and spring projection of said link connection on the inner surface of the sole, and by the then continued pressing of the lever toward the upper the block is forced upward into close contact with, and the lever is brought to a bearing on the portion of, the upper over the block, and thereby the portion of its upper to be creased is clamped between the block and the lever and in a manner that by then passing a tool of suitable character between the upper and the lever and in and along the grooves of the block the upper is creased in accordance with said grooves, and the block and the upper as it is so creased are held up to the tool with elastic or spring pressure.

In addition to the above, this invention consists in adapting the grooved block to be readily attached and detached for changing it to suit varying sizes of boots and shoes and varying sizes and locations ot' grooves, and also of a rub stick or tool of novel construction to rub the leather of the upper into the creases of the block of the creasing-tool, all as hereinafter explained.

In the drawings forming part of this specitication, Figures 1 and 3 are side elevations of the tool in and on a boot. Fig. l shows the position of the grooved block in the boot and of the lever ont of the hoot before the latter is closed onto the former, and Fig. 3 shows the position of the grooved block and lever closed together. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section, line 2 2, Fig. l. Fig. L t is a vertical cross-section, line 4 4, Fig.

In the drawings,A is the block, B is the lever, O C2 is the link in two sections, and A2 is the rearward extension of the block A, cornprising the creasing-tool of this invention. The block A on its upper side has transverse grooves ct, and it is of a shape longitudinally and transversely corresponding to that of the inner side of a boot or shoe upper from at or near the :instep to the toe, and of a thickness essentially less than the height between. the boot or shoe sole and upper. The lever Bhas its fulcrum. l) on the rear end A3 of the rearward extension A2 ot' the grooved block, and from the fulcrurn b the lever extends forward and over the grooved surface and all so that it may be closed on and with its rib projection B2 lengthwise across the grooves of the block. The part O of the link C C2 is at its one end hung by a pivot CZ to the lever B, rearward of its fnlcruin h, and at its other end it is hung by a pivot f to one end of the other part C2 ot' the link, which at its other end is hung on a pivot g at the under side of the rearward extension A2 of the grooved block A and forward of the fulcrum b of the lever B on said extension A2. The part C2 of the link C O2 has an extension C3 forward of its pivot g and under the block A, and this eX- tension is made of a band of spring sheetsteel or other suitable metal or material having at its outer end a series of teeth h across it to engage the sole of the boot or shoe, as will hereinafter appear.

The block A of the tool described is placed in the boot or shoe and forced forward to the IOO toe, and then the lever B is swung downward and closed onto the upper over the grooved block, thereby bringing the block into close Contact with the upper and placing the spring extension C3 into engagement by its teeth h with the sole and under tension to hold the block in the position stated, and all with the upper over and upon the grooves of the block clamped between the block and the lever. With the block A and the lever B in the closed position stated,asuitab le rub stick or tool is forced along the grooves of the block between the upper and the lever, at the saine time suitably holding the lever down, and thus the upper is creased in accordance with said grooves. While creasing the upper, as stated, the grooved block A is held upward against the upper with elast-ic pressure by means of the spring-extension C3 of the link C C2, then engaged at its forward end With the sole of the boot or shoe, and again the block'is held against either rearward or forward movement within the boot or shoe. On completing the creasingthe lever B is opened from the upper, which releases the block for its then removal.

T is the rub stick or tool, consisting of a metal bar which curves along its length and in cross section at its concave edge is of a more or less V or other shape corresponding substantially to that of the grooves of the block. The block A and its rearward extension A2 are in separate pieces, joined one to the other along their length by a dovetail joint A4, preferably more or less tapering, and all otherwise for a grooved block to be slid onto and off of the extension A2 and so removed for attaching another, whereby' blocks of varying sizes and having varying sizes and locations of grooves may be used, the advantages of which are obvious.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A tool for creasing boot or shoe uppers, composed of a grooved block shaped to tit the inner side of the upper and a rearward extension, a lever fulcrumed on said rearward extension of and extending over said grooved block, and a link in two sections jointed end to end and one to said lever and the other to said extension ofand extended under said block, substantially as described, for the purposes specified.

2. A tool for creasing boot or shoe uppers, composed of a grooved block shaped to lit the inner side of the upper and a rearward extension separate from it and the block, adapted to be detachably attached, a lever fulcrumed on said rearward extension of and extending over said grooved block, and a link in two sections jointed end to end and one to said lever and the other to said extension of and extended under said block, substantially as described, for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY P. ROBERTS.

Witnesses: y

ALBERT W. BROWN, MARY W. SToRnR. 

